Athens company named top solar provider in Ohio

Announced this week, Athens-based Third Sun Solar, a leading provider of commercial, public sector and residential solar solutions, has been named the top solar provider in Ohio as part of the 2018 Solar Power World Top 500 Solar Contractors List.

Nationwide, the company was ranked No. 28 among firms offering engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to commercial clients, and 160 overall.

For 19 years, Third Sun Solar has designed, engineered and built projects across the Midwest, delivering thousands of kilowatts (kW) of solar solutions across 14 states, according to a news release.

The Top Solar Contractors list was developed by Solar Power World in 2012 to recognize the work completed by solar contractors across the United States. Produced annually, the Top Solar Contractors list celebrates the achievements of U.S. solar developers, subcontractors and installers within the utility, commercial and residential markets. The 2018 list was released on July 24. Solar Power World is the industry’s leading source for technology, development and installation news.

According to the release, ranks are determined by the number of kilowatts (DC) a company was involved with installing in 2017 in the United States only.

“Solar Power World is very excited about the 2018 class of Top Solar Contractors,” Kelly Pickerel, editor in chief of Solar Power World, said in the release. “We’re happy to feature a strong group of thriving U.S. solar installers on the 2018 Top Solar Contractors list. These companies truly are at the top of their markets.”

In the release, Geoff Greenfield, founder of Third Sun Solar, said the company is “honored to be recognized by Solar Power World as one of the top solar companies in the United States and number one in Ohio.

“Our growth has accelerated as building and homeowners learn that solar is now cost effective in the Midwest,” he added. “While demand is driven by solar’s strong economics, our success is driven by our great team of electricians, designers, consultants and office staff.”

According to Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Greentech Media Research’s recent U.S. Solar Market Insight report, the U.S. installed 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV capacity in the first quarter of 2018 to reach 55.9 GW of total installed capacity, enough to power 10.7 million American homes. This represents a 13 percent increase year-over-year. “Total installed U.S. PV capacity is expected to more than double over the next five years, and by 2023, over 14 GW of PV capacity will be installed annually,” the report notes, as quoted in the news release, predicting serious growth for solar in the next few years.

Why Athens?

“Athens has a very healthy entrepreneurial environment,” he reflected. “It has an excellent startup culture, particularly in the area of tech growth.” – Neill Lane, Global Cooling